Post 572: PWAS Scholarship 2025 Faith Garcia Young

PWAS Scholarship 2025 Faith Garcia Young

Monday, May 26, 2025. At our monthly meeting for the month of May, the Prince William Art Society awarded the Jewell Pratt Burns Scholarship Award to a very well deserving young artist, Faith Garcia Young. Faith's family and Mr. William O'Connor, M.A. Fine Arts Department Chair, from Saint John Paul the Great High School in Dumfries, Virginia, were in attendance.

Jewell Pratt Burns Scholarship

Read more about the Jewell Pratt Burns Scholarship here and on the Prince William Art Society website here.

 

Emily Hawes (PWAS Programs and Scholarship Committees Chair) presenting the Scholarship Certificate and Check to Faith Young. The PWAS Board (seated)

Here is some of Faith's portfolio artwork that she had on display. The PWAS Members enjoyed the stories behind each piece with what inspirations went into the creation of each one. The first is a nod to Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen - the Keira Knightley version of the 2005 movie with Matthew Macfadyen. (Three cheers from me!)

 

By Faith Garcia Young

 

By Faith Garcia Young -Inspired by Easter morning at the empty tomb.

 

By Faith Garcia Young

 

L-R: Tom Payne, Faith Garcia Young, Bettie Sperty, Staci Blanchard and Eric Ndofor 

Photos from Emily Hawes

What an inspirational meeting! As the Prince William Art Society members listened to Faith's plans and hopes for her future in art, it was so heart warming. A very well deserved Scholarship Award winner! We truly hope those dreams come true and see her working at the National Gallery of Art one day!  Art World - here she comes!

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Author: Donna Liguria
Artistry Spin Blogmaster and an artist member of PWAS in Woodbridge, VA, specializing in acrylic painting. She paints landscapes, seascapes, animals and many subjects. Visit her Website at DonnaLiguriaArt.com, her Donna's Esty site and her Blog at Donna’s Cave Paintings.

Photography/Video Credits: Donna Liguria and Emily Hawes

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Local Art: The Prince William Art Society is a 50+-year-old non-profit art group in PWC for the appreciation of fine art throughout the county and Northern Virginia. Visit us at any of our local art shows or join us for our monthly meetings - held on the 4th Monday of the month at the Tall Oaks Community Center at 12298 Cotton Mill Dr, Woodbridge, VA at 7:30pm

Want to join PWAS? Go to https://www.princewilliamartsociety.com/membership

Have an idea for a blog post? Are you a writer and want to help with the blog? Let me know! Thank you for visiting, and remember to Share, Follow, and Comment (below)! ...Remember, comments are monitored so they will not show up immediately.

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Post 571: The Jewell Pratt Burns Scholarship Award Night

The Jewell Pratt Burns Scholarship Award Night

In May for many years, the Prince William Art Society announces and awards the winner(s) of our annual Jewell Pratt Burns Scholarship Award by celebrating at our monthly meeting. This Monday, May 26 is the day to award the Scholarship, so come and celebrate with us.

 

From May 2023: The Jewell Pratt Burns Scholarship Award presentation. Featured l-r: 2023 PWAS President Ana Quispe, Jewell Pratt Burns, and the 2023 Scholarship recipient Awaneh Sawaneh

PWAS Meeting Monday, May 26, 2025 7:30pm

The Prince William Art Society (PWAS) offers a Scholarship each year for $1,000 to be used toward tuition, books, art supplies or anything that helps make school more affordable. Applicants submit an essay, a teacher's letter of recommendation, and digital images of their art. They bring original works to an interview with a panel of Prince William Art Society artists where they discuss their use of mediums, styles, and future goals in the art community. The application process is excellent practice for many later experiences within the art world, and the monetary award provides meaningful help at this pivotal time.

One of the most rewarding moments for PWAS members has been meeting these talented young students and knowing we were able to help this member of the next generation of artists - ensuring all our futures will be a little bit brighter and more creative. Attend the membership meeting this May 26th to help celebrate our 2025 student scholarship winner, Faith Garcia Young. Support her as she receives the award, talk with her and her family over cake and ice cream, and enjoy being a part of this celebration.

Membership meetings are held at the Tall Oaks Community Center, 12298 Cotton Mill Dr., Lakeridge, VA 22192. Meetings start at 7:30 pm. All programs are free and open to the public, who are cordially invited to attend.

A Business Meeting Too

Following the Scholarship ceremony, the PWAS members will go over some of the upcoming events, shows and any announcements. A big topic of conversation is our current PWAS Member Art Exhibit showing at the ARTfactory in Manassas May 15- 30 followed by the Best of the Region Fine Art Show and Sale also at the ARTfactory June 3-15. The Art Reception for the Best of show is June 7. The Prince William Art Society is sponsoring the Best of the Region Show and features artists from all over the Northern Virginia areas.

See the Web Gallery online for each of these events at:

PWAS Member Art Exhibit https://pwasatartfactory2025.artcall.org/pages/web-gallery

Best of the Region Fine Art Show https://bestoftheregionexhibit.artcall.org/pages/web-gallery 

 For a bit of history on the PWAS Scholarship fund, please see https://artistryspin.blogspot.com/2021/09/post-5-pwas-art-scholarship-program.html 

Consider a Donation to the Jewell Pratt Burns Scholarship Fund

Save the Date and come to our May Meeting!

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Author: Donna Liguria
Artistry Spin Blogmaster and an artist member of PWAS in Woodbridge, VA, specializing in acrylic painting. She paints landscapes, seascapes, animals and many subjects. Visit her Website at DonnaLiguriaArt.com, her Donna's Esty site and her Blog at Donna’s Cave Paintings.

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Local Art: The Prince William Art Society is a 50+-year-old non-profit art group in PWC for the appreciation of fine art throughout the county and Northern Virginia. Visit us at any of our local art shows or join us for our monthly meetings - held on the 4th Monday of the month at the Tall Oaks Community Center at 12298 Cotton Mill Dr, Woodbridge, VA at 7:30pm

Want to join PWAS? Go to https://www.princewilliamartsociety.com/membership

Have an idea for a blog post? Are you a writer and want to help with the blog? Let me know! Thank you for visiting, and remember to Share, Follow, and Comment (below)! ...Remember, comments are monitored so they will not show up immediately.

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Post 570: PWAS Exhibit at the Bull Run Library June/July

PWAS Exhibit at the Bull Run Library June/July

The Bull Run Library is where we are invited to put up our art for June and again for July so here is an easy call for art for our Prince William Art Society (PWAS) members. PWAS Secretary Bettie Sperty is the event coordinator for this show, so you'll need to contact her if you want to be a part of this event - immediately!

 

View of the Bull Run Library - the art up

PWAS art exhibit at Bull Run Library for the month of June!!

Highlights:

• Submit up to 3 pieces
• Accepting medium sized artwork for the entry walls until Saturday, May 24th!
• Sizes accepted are minimum of 144 sq.in. (example -12”x12”), maximum size of 320 sq.in. ( example - 16”x20”).
• Artwork will be sold via the PWAS Online Art Store
• Deadline for submissions Saturday, May 24 11pm 
• Art Notification acceptance/regrets Tuesday, May 27
• Art Delivery Sunday, June 1 1:30 to 2:30pm 
  

Once again PWAS has been invited to display their artwork at the beautiful Bull Run Library located at 8051 Ashton Ave, Manassas, VA 20109.  The art display area is a bright, open area immediately inside the front doors of the library making it the very first thing the visitors see upon entering.  This is not a juried show and all PWAS artists are invited to submit up to 3 pieces for consideration for display.  Due to limited space, only 16-18 pieces will be accepted (total from all artists). These pieces will be chosen by size and order of submission. (First ones submitted will be the first ones considered), so please reply and submit your entry as soon as possible.

This PWAS Art Show will be up and on display during the Bull Run Library Maker Faire being held on June 7th, which attracts several hundred visitors for the day. Contact Bettie for more info of course - bettiesperty@gmail.com

PWAS Shows 2025

PWAS has so many shows and events.  You have plenty of opportunities to show your art.

• PWAS show at the ARTfactory (juried - show ongoing NOW at the ARTfactory)
• PWAS Best of Region show (juried - show coming up at the ARTfactory June 3-15).
• This new Bull Run Library show
• September Arts Alive (non-juried - show at the Hylton Performing Arts Center in Manassas)
• and more coming

Note that Bettie has said that she has been contacted by library visitors in the past while showing art at the Bull Run Library for several commissions too! 

See info about the PWAS Online Art Store here

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Author: Donna Liguria
Artistry Spin Blogmaster and an artist member of PWAS in Woodbridge, VA, specializing in acrylic painting. She paints landscapes, seascapes, animals and many subjects. Visit her Website at DonnaLiguriaArt.com, her Donna's Esty site and her Blog at Donna’s Cave Paintings.

Photography/Video Credits: Donna Liguria

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Local Art: The Prince William Art Society is a 50+-year-old non-profit art group in PWC for the appreciation of fine art throughout the county and Northern Virginia. Visit us at any of our local art shows or join us for our monthly meetings - held on the 4th Monday of the month at the Tall Oaks Community Center at 12298 Cotton Mill Dr, Woodbridge, VA at 7:30pm

Want to join PWAS? Go to https://www.princewilliamartsociety.com/membership

Have an idea for a blog post? Are you a writer and want to help with the blog? Let me know! Thank you for visiting, and remember to Share, Follow, and Comment (below)! ...Remember, comments are monitored so they will not show up immediately.

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Post 569: An Art Reception at the ARTfactory

An Art Reception at the ARTfactory

Saturday, May 17, 2025. The Prince William Art Society celebrated an Artist Reception at the ARTfactory for the current art show on display at the gallery. The show is the Prince William Art Society Member Exhibition which began May 15 and will run until May 30. Lots of the artists came and enjoyed the wonderful celebration of art.

Photos from the Reception

The ARTfactory is located at 9419 Battle Street in Manassas, VA right across from the railroad station.

Photographs from around the ARTfactory gallery

 

 

Donna Liguria next to her painting called "Spring at Merrimac Farm" 

2 From Katharine Owens, featuring "White Chocolate" and "Peppermint Pattie"

2 from Katie Keller Dugan (with Mandy Powell)

To see ALL of the photos from this show, see the PWAS Web Gallery

Here's one from Sandra McClelland Lewin

From PWAS Member Zee Berrios

From PWAS Member Mandy Powell 

From Member Scott Elliot with is "Day at Royal Lake"

Thank you PWAS Members for sending in your photos too! As always, art is better seen in person. The colors, the size of the piece, the full impact of an artwork is not realized via the internet...so go by the ARTfactory and see the show! The Show ends May 30th!

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Author: Donna Liguria
Artistry Spin Blogmaster and an artist member of PWAS in Woodbridge, VA, specializing in acrylic painting. She paints landscapes, seascapes, animals and many subjects. Visit her Website at DonnaLiguriaArt.com, her Donna's Esty site and her Blog at Donna’s Cave Paintings.

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Local Art: The Prince William Art Society is a 50+-year-old non-profit art group in PWC for the appreciation of fine art throughout the county and Northern Virginia. Visit us at any of our local art shows or join us for our monthly meetings - held on the 4th Monday of the month at the Tall Oaks Community Center at 12298 Cotton Mill Dr, Woodbridge, VA at 7:30pm

Want to join PWAS? Go to https://www.princewilliamartsociety.com/membership

Have an idea for a blog post? Are you a writer and want to help with the blog? Let me know! Thank you for visiting, and remember to Share, Follow, and Comment (below)! ...Remember, comments are monitored so they will not show up immediately.

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Post 568: Photographing Your Artwork To Make Prints

Photographing Your Artwork To Make Prints

by Tom Payne

Photographing artwork is done for many different purposes.  

One purpose is submitting images to be juried for an art show. This can be done with some practice and minimal equipment after watching a few YouTube videos.  In this case, the quality of the image and the size of the file may not be very important.   Here is a good video to watch for this purpose:   https://youtu.be/WIe-KuDAkkc

 

Photo by Heshan Perera on Unsplash

Photographing your artwork for the purpose of making and selling high quality prints is a worthwhile venture. Many artists pride themselves on selling individual, one of a kind, artworks for customers who have the financial wherewithal to afford that kind of purchase.  

In addition to offering original one offs, artists may also want to provide more affordable print products for customers to consider (such as artist note cards and frame-able mat prints in different sizes).  For this purpose, good camera equipment, lighting, and image editing software are needed in order to create high resolution images that show your paintings accurately, whether it’s for a pop up show or for your website.  Here is a good video that shows this process:  https://youtu.be/zsqiPscQQCE   

As a photographer, I have the high resolution camera equipment necessary to shoot artwork in a studio setting and would be happy to chat with PWAS members who are interested in learning, with me, how to photograph their work.  

If you’re serious and would like to sell note cards and mat prints, I recommend that you spend what you can afford and buy a good photo printer. Stick with Epson or Canon.  Go to B&H Photo and shop around and look at videos for a printer that meets your needs. B&H is the best place to buy. Trust me. https://www.bhphotovideo.com/

You can purchase quality photo papers and note card stock from B&H Photo as well.  When purchasing photo paper you might wish to purchase a sample pack that includes examples of different finishes, mat, glossy, premium luster, watercolor etc… There are a ton of different types of papers to experiment with. 

If you don’t have or don’t want to buy a printer, you must choose a good professional printer.  My advice is to use the printers trusted by professional photographers.  My favorite printer for paper prints is Mpix.   Visit the website and spend some time familiarizing yourself with the various options and products available. You will not be disappointed in the quality of their work. www.mpix.com.   

If you are interested in making canvas, acrylic, or metal prints, I highly recommend ProPrints. I get all my big canvas prints from them and they stand behind their work.  https://www.proprints.com/    

When selling your prints, it is important that they be matted, suitable for framing, and in sealed clear bags.  I get my mat boards, backer boards, and clear bags, in standard sizes from Matboard Plus.  Purchase supplies in bulk, mat your own prints and you will be good to go.  Check them out here: https://www.matboardplus.com/conservation-mat-board-show-kits/

 

Photo by Jonny Caspari on Unsplash

If you’ve never made a mounted print, don’t worry, it is easy.  Here is a good video showing the CORRECT way to do it with acid free products. https://youtu.be/VYUVC8cc838

I hope these references and tips are helpful as you explore the world of photography and how you can create fine art prints to augment the sale of your artworks.  Contact me anytime!  Make some art and enjoy today!! 

Tom Payne Relief Artworx

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Author: Tom Payne, PWAS Member-at-Large

 

Author: Donna Liguria
Artistry Spin Blogmaster and an artist member of PWAS in Woodbridge, VA, specializing in acrylic painting. She paints landscapes, seascapes, animals and many subjects. Visit her Website at DonnaLiguriaArt.com, her Donna's Esty site and her Blog at Donna’s Cave Paintings.

---

Local Art: The Prince William Art Society is a 50+-year-old non-profit art group in PWC for the appreciation of fine art throughout the county and Northern Virginia. Visit us at any of our local art shows or join us for our monthly meetings - held on the 4th Monday of the month at the Tall Oaks Community Center at 12298 Cotton Mill Dr, Woodbridge, VA at 7:30pm

Want to join PWAS? Go to https://www.princewilliamartsociety.com/membership

Have an idea for a blog post? Are you a writer and want to help with the blog? Let me know! Thank you for visiting, and remember to Share, Follow, and Comment (below)! ...Remember, comments are monitored so they will not show up immediately.

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